In the home stretch...

It sure has been awhile.... I think my last blog was April? Maybe. I'm not real sure. I have been so busy... and side tracked doing so many things to get ready for the baby that I haven't taken the time to update. But if you follow me on Instagram you'll know that I update extremely often ;) 

First things first... 

I am 36 weeks TOMORROW!! 

Which means - NINE MONTHS.

I have made it. 

This pregnancy has seriously flown by and it's a bit bittersweet because I am pretty sure this will be our last one. This pregnancy has been the hardest on me and I am really looking forward to having my baby girl here. And I don't say that as I'm ungrateful, because I thank God every single day for the blessing that is my daughter growing inside of me for the past 36 weeks. I know many women suffer from infertility, repeat pregnancy loss, etc. & I really could not imagine going through that. While I suffered a miscarriage before our rainbow baby, I could never handle a recurring miscarriage situation. I pray for those women that they can somehow find peace and that one day their wish to be a mommy comes true <3 But I am in no way ungrateful. 

I think that every mama who is at the end of her pregnancy knows what I'm feeling. 

That whole:

"Get this baby out of me!" 

type of deal. 

I am at that point

where the heat here in Pennsylvania is overwhelming, 

the weight gain, the huge belly, the insomnia, leg cramps, excessive heartburn, never being able to get comfortable, round ligament pain...ALL THAT - I'm just READY. 

How I feel these days. 

I am just BEYOND ready. 

I should update everyone on my progress though.

I spent a night in the hospital recently because I am 2.5 cm dilated and 80% effaced already.

And this was shortly after my birthday. I have the absolute MOST wonderful OB ever. And in a weeks time I went from 50% effaced and a small 1 cm dilated to 2.5 cm and 80% - my doctor was taking NO chances due to my preterm labor history. He admitted me and gave me the steroid shots for the baby's lung maturity as well as gave me meds to stop my contractions. 

Since then I've been doing okay, still contracting but not as close together, and it hasn't been much cause for concern. Thankfully. 

We have been doing a lot of planning and prepping in getting ready for her arrival, and yesterday we took Caleb to the Strasburg Railroad for his last big outing before he becomes a Big Brother and we become a Liczbinski family of four. <3 Here's some pictures from that:

Caleb got to ride the Thomas the Tank Engine and the Percy train, which is something he was looking forward to for WEEKS before and he had an absolutely wonderful time. It of course happened to be the HOTTEST day of the year yesterday - which was tough for me being nine months pregnant - but it was all for him. This was something we had planned for him because I won't be traveling much in the coming weeks except to walk all over to go into labor ;) 

It was a really fun day though and we all had a great time! We are going again in September when it'll be a little cooler out. And we will be a Liczbinski family of four by then! =) <3 How exciting.

We also finished up the baby's nursery - which proved to be quite a process and took way longer than we had expected. 

But here is the finished product:

It is literally my Dream Nursery. 

And I couldn't imagine it coming out any more amazing than it has.

It's everything I dreamed of for our daughter plus some!! 

There are times I literally go in there and just STARE because I am amazed by how beautiful it is and how incredibly it came out... <3 Honestly I couldn't even tell you what it looked like before had I not taken pictures of the progress as we went.

Top Right: before we started painting... Right: as we started the painting process which took SO long and felt like it would never end... Bottom left: the cherry blossom decal process that my husband was so gracious enough to do the tree and branches (we both did the blossoms)... Bottom Right: is the finished decal - took a couple days because we took breaks.

This is how the decal looks before application. Everything is literally individually applied. Nothing is one big piece... the tree itself and its branches have four separate sections labeled A, B, C, D and it has to be done in order. The branches are all done INDIVIDUALLY. The bigger pieces are the main base of the tree. The blossoms (there has to be over 200) and the birds all have to be cut out and applied individually as well. But the finished product is nothing short of amazing.

This is the process of the tree and branch application itself.

My husband, who is the least patient person I know when it comes to projects like this did the entire tree aspect on his own without losing his patience ONCE. Which is quite a big feat for him, lmao.

He made sure everything was perfect and the outcome is obviously incredible.

For those curious about where we got what. I'll tell you.

Cherry Blossom Decal: Simple Shapes on Amazon. It's pricey but worth the price you pay. It was $139 and I was hesitant at first due to cost but after looking around, I came back to this one. Over and over again. Since its been applied and everything, I can see why it cost as much as it is. It's PERFECT. And beautiful. I left a review on their Amazon page.

Changing table, Dresser, & pink rug: all from IKEA. And inexpensive to boot...I mean it wasn't all $20 but it was less than what you'd pay at a place like Target and the quality is really great. The pink rug I would recommend getting a rug pad for underneath of it because it's thin and standing on it barefoot is incredibly uncomfortable. The changing table is part of the STUVA system at Ikea and was the biggest pain in the butt to put together...the drawer front comes in different colors but we got the pink to kind of offset it a little bit. This entire system converts into a desk later on so it's really versatile. Downfall besides assembly? Comes in about 6 boxes. No exaggeration. The other dresser cost us $100 but has a lot of drawer space and easily assembled.

Gray Rug, Changing pad cover, Breathable bumpers, crib skirt and sheet: All from Target - my favorite store. Also all inexpensive. The rug is EXTREMELY comfortable and it makes me want to get another one for the far side of the room that's not pictured. But it's incredibly soft and comfortable and perfect for the late night changes and standing in front of the changing table. Crib skirt and sheet are both online only.

Crib: is from Babies R Us. We loved the white crib from the beginning and we lucked out in having a friend of ours sell us hers for more than half of what she paid when she got it. It's in excellent condition and a 3 in 1 - which is IDEAL. However, it's discontinued through BRU, but they have similar looking ones online and in store.

If there are any other questions about anything in the nursery - please email me at jrob0601@gmail.com and I would be more than happy to answer! :) 

<3 

This nursery is just better than what I even imagined. You get a picture in your head and you don't think it'll look that amazing but this surpassed everything I ever wanted and I'm so excited for my baby girl to be here so she can utilize it <3 

With that being said... I took a walk down my bump board memory lane since I'm starting month 9 tomorrow and I wanted to take a look back. I would be lying if I said I didn't get emotional looking back because it feels like just yesterday that we announced we were expecting on Christmas morning.

And now I am 36 weeks tomorrow and literally anything could happen from tomorrow until my due date which was a month away as of yesterday...<3 

This is from our 4D ultrasound we had at 32 weeks:

She looks so much like her brother... and he is so excited to meet her.

He said "mama, I am going to protect her and love her."

I cannot wait to see him with her. She's so precious <3 And he is too<3 

We are all beyond excited for her arrival.

BumpBoard Memory Lane: 

It's crazy how much everything has changed. And how much bigger I've gotten...

Honestly I never carried this big with Caleb and it's been tough on my body because I'm typically tiny. I am definitely looking forward to getting my body back after she's born and I have some plans on my "body after baby" routine. But I am in no real rush... 9 months on 9 months off - hopefully less though. God willing. I also have a Belly Bandit that I am planning on using to help get back to my pre-pregnancy size. Which has had some outstanding reviews. 

It's so hard to believe that my pregnancy is almost done... and that it's flown by like this.

I feel beyond blessed and happy and excited. And I am so happy that I chose to document my pregnancy with bump boards and blogs (until I didn't, but everything is on my Instagram). It was such a good idea to do this, because it helps me look back. Once she's here I plan on doing monthly ones with her as well - as much as I can. And I'll do a final board with me holding her as well.

My 36 week board:

NINE MONTHS! =) 

I'm suffering from insomnia, can't get comfortable, leg cramps, excessive heartburn, swollen ankles, contractions are happening more often.

BABY GIRL IS THE SIZE OF A WATERMELON!

and now she's just packing on the pounds before she arrives.

If she arrived now she would be able to survive and those steroid shots for her lungs did wonders for their maturity, so she would be fine if born now! =) 

Here's the plan: 36 week visit to my OB and he's going to check me. And then we can see if any progress has been made... I'll be incredibly surprised if there hasn't been any. She's dropped a lot in my belly and I feel contractions more often and even some pressure. If nothing tomorrow that would cause me to go over to L&D.. 

37 Weeks. I am getting my membranes stripped at my visit.

My OB is confident this will do the trick and I'll be in labor.

So prayers and fingers crossed. <3 

One can only hope it works. If I don't go before then.

I have a feeling I'll be going before 37 weeks but you never know! =) 

^ you can see how much he's dropped in a days time and from different angles.

She has been head down since 28 weeks and she is incredibly low.

...my bladder informs me every five minutes.

Birth plan:

Still the same as before. I plan on going naturally and I'm actually really nervous and anxious since I've never done it before. But I've gone into my pregnancy with this mindset and I'm confident I can do it. Not  to say I am not scared to death of how bad it'll hurt. Caleb's labor was a quick 3 hours and 2 pushes and I always wonder had I not gotten the epidural if I would have had him faster. I plan on doing delayed cord clamping and skin to skin. I also would like to be able to pull her out by myself. 

We shall see. Usually when there's a plan it doesn't go that way. 

In terms of hospital visitors? We aren't sure. I told Ray I will have the final say in what happens. 

Not even being bitch. But I am the one pushing the baby out. And it depends how I feel.

First visitor will be Caleb of course! So he can meet his baby sister! <3 

It has been that way from the gate too. 

It's going to be a big transition for him and I don't want him bombarded either.

Vistors will be determined afterwards.

Home visitors won't be for 2-3 weeks. 

That can annoy whoever, but it'll be respected.

People seem to think new moms enjoy being bombarded after months of waiting and hours of labor.

Definitely not the case.

Here's to my final month of pregnancy and a healthy baby girl <3 And a safe, healthy, quick delivery for mama! <3 Words can't describe how blessed and happy we all are to almost have our baby girl here with us <3 

So until then...

-XOXO- 

Jenna

23 Weeks and feeling super pregnant!

23 Weeks this week and feeling beyond pregnant. 

I've been dealing with a lot of pain and it's really upsetting.

Thankfully no L&D trips yet, but I think there's going to be one in the near future. 

I am having lots of round ligament pain and pain in my lower abdomen. It makes even basic mundane tasks like walking up the steps, walking, or switching positions in bed extremely painful.

My OB suggested I go to Motherhood Maternity or another baby/motherhood store and get myself a good belly support band to help me with the discomfort I'm feeling.

She said that it's all the pressure that's happening down there and a belly band will help lift everything up and will hopefully help with my discomfort. I've never had this issue before, so this is something new to me and extremely painful. Some days are worse than others, but yesterday I could barely move.... I took Caleb to Bounce U and I think I overdid it...but I was in pain before that.

This week baby girl is the size of a grapefruit, papaya, or large mango!

So many different food comparisons!! 

Measuring at 11 inches and weighing in at over a pound already she can sense and feel my movements and listens to my voice and my heartbeat. <3 

Besides the pain in my abdomen/groin area, I have shortness of breath, I'm pretty tired, and dealing with insane heartburn/indigestion/acid reflux. I carry Tums and Zantac with me wherever I go.

Pretty awesome right? LOL.

I just hope I start feeling better soon, because I am so incredibly uncomfortable and not being able to do basic things makes me upset. Like I want to workout and do things like squats, donkey kicks, fire hydrants and all of that, and I'm just in so much pain that I can't get through anything. I'm going to try and focus on working my arms out at least and I'm hoping that getting this belly band is going to help me out significantly and I can get back into somewhat of a normal routine. 

I also have been dealing with swollen feet and ankles. Specifically when I'm on my feet too long. Nothing I am too concerned about just yet. 

But uncomfortable nonetheless. 

Still dealing with hemorrhoids which apparently a belly band will help with because of the pressure going on down there. 

If getting this belly band doesn't help me out at all I'll be calling my OB and asking them what I can do or what can be done to alleviate some of this pain. Which I'm hoping they don't recommend bedrest.... because I'm so busy! And I have a crazy toddler that keeps me on my toes 97% of the time. But with every one of my pregnancies I've suffered from bedrest and preterm labor. But I can never go into labor ON MY OWN I've always been induced.... So I'm thinking that this pregnancy wont be any different... I usually go into labor a month early and I get bedrest. With Caleb I got the steroid shots for his lungs and I'm expecting the same to happen this time around. But I've also never experienced this type of pain before so I don't know when I'll be put on bedrest or anything else. 

Only time will tell I guess.

I'm trying my best not to overdo it. And to take it as easy as I possibly can. 

(Its hard sometimes though because I get restless)

So we shall see what happens. 

My baby girls health  and well being is first and foremost. <3

We chose her carseat: 

Chicco NextFit Convertible Seat. <3 

A friend of mine has this one and she absolutely loves it. 

I saw this one at Babies R Us and felt this compared to the Graco 4ever 4 in 1 seat, and this one feels much more comfortable and versatile. It's also got the 9 recline positions and it looks more comfortable for an newborn... 

Originally we were going to go with an infant car seat. 

& then we got to thinking about how Caleb didn't use his infant seat for longer than a month or two, if that. This NextFit seats seems more practical because it'll last longer and she will get more use out of it. So we are thinking of just going with the convertible seat. 

Which is completely safe for newborns to use. 

And one of the officers at Ray's PD is carseat certified and all of that so he's going to install it for us. 

Thankfully. So he said there's no way we won't pass inspection at the hospital :) <3

Now I'm trying to find a stroller thats versatile for both Caleb and for the baby! 

**Any suggestions would be seriously helpful** 

This is the Graco Ready2Grow Click Connect Stand & Ride Stroller.

The front looks like it's got the infant carrier part but I'm not sure. Based off the website it says it works for newborn to toddler but I am not really sure. 

We have the Sit and Stand stroller already but this was when we had expected us to get an infant car seat, and while I plan on doing a lot of baby wearing, it's not something I'm entirely sure of ... Car seats are helpful, but they do get bulky.

any suggestions!? 

Follow me on Instagram and give me your input!

@jennaliczbinski

Have a great weekend <3 

My Birth Plan

Something I have been thinking about lately is my birth plan for Baby L come July. This isn't my first rodeo so I know what to expect in terms of how pregnancy goes and labor and all of that. But I really wanted to look further into all of my options and what I have plans to do.

This was the very first thing I thought about. Should I have a completely natural labor with no pain medication or should I have an epidural like I've had before. I have never experienced the joys (and pain) of having a completely natural labor and delivery experience. 

My experience with the epidural was this: amazing, lol. It completely took all the pain away that I was feeling except for the pressures associated with the baby descending into the pelvic area for birth. I was always afraid of needles -- and when I saw the needle used for the epidural it was no different. I was scared. It's a big needle to say the least and knowing it goes in between the vertebrae in my spine is kind of terrifying. I always have had luck with wonderful anesthesiologists, except once. I was 17 years old and delivering my first son (he lives with his father & for personal reasons I won't divulge that information) but I was 17 years old and a senior in high school. The doctors at Kennedy Hospital treated me like complete crap because of how young I was and the anesthesiologist didn't say much to me. Did what he had to do and left. And so I was numb but nobody told me about that glorious 15 minute drip option that comes along with the epidural. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, I'll tell you. The epidural comes with a button that you're allowed to press every 15 minutes to release more pain medication. Had I known this I may have had a bit of a better birthing experience. Anyway, my epidural with Caleb was exceptional. I went in had my water broken and all that stuff and then got the epidural. I felt those beginning contractions and I wanted to die -- it's painful, no doubt. I had a great experience with that & I pressed that button every 15 minutes on the dot to make sure I felt nothing. What I didn't like was having to wait to get moved to the recovery room because after the epidural you need to have feeling back in your legs and use the bathroom (because you have a catheter in the entire time). 

Here are 10 reasons why you shouldn't get a epidural: 

(1) Epidurals restrict movement.

Because epidurals require IV fluids, bladder catheter, and full time electronic fetal monitoring, mothers are unable to be in control of the natural progression of labor. Deena Blumenfeld, a Registered Prenatal Yoga Instructor and Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator in Pittsburgh, explains, “The epidural restricts mom to bed, and it restricts her movement. When mom’s movement is restricted it can cause a number of complications, including: fetal distress, low fetal heart rate, and inability for baby to rotate to the anterior position (optimal and normal for birth).” Ultimately, she says that the “use of the epidural can be a direct cause of c-section.”

(2) Epidurals increase the risk of fever. 

It is not uncommon for epidurals to increase the mother’s body temperature. A recent study pinpointed that over 19% of women who received an epidural experienced a fever of 100.4 or higher. Fevers, in turn, can increase both the mother’s and baby’s heart rate. Since fetal heart rate can be a sign of distress, doctors often react with the suggestion of a C-section. Even if a C-section is not the outcome, the heightened heart rate often leads to further investigations of the baby after birth (which can include blood and spinal fluid samples). This can lead to days of separation, observation, and possibly antibiotics – which inhibits mother-baby bonding and the establishment of a strong breastfeeding relationship. Kelly Whitehead, author of High-Risk Pregnancy: Why Me?, had this very experience. After a spiking fever, she had to leave her baby behind at the hospital for a few days after her discharge as a preventative measure. She commented, “It was extremely hard emotionally to leave my daughter behind. Breastfeeding her kicked off with a rough start since I was separated from her moments after birth. Though the hospital lent me a pump, I found that difficult, especially being a first time mom.”

(3) Epidurals may cause the mother’s blood pressure to drop. 

A sudden drop in blood pressure is one of the most common side effects – which is why blood pressure is taken every 5 minutes when the epidural is initialized and every 30 minutes thereafter. A drop in the mother’s blood pressure affects how much of her blood is pumped to the placenta and can lead to less oxygen being available to the baby.

(4) Epidurals have been known to cause headaches.

Many women with epidurals report having persistent and/or chronic headaches post-delivery. Blumenfield says that this happens when the epidural needle is inserted too far, “...it can release spinal fluid up to the brain, causing a spinal headache. These are severe and often debilitating, lasting for hours or days.”

(5) Epidurals can slow labor. 

Epidurals often slow the second stage (or pushing stage) of labor by interfering with the natural hormone of labor (called oxytocin), as well as reducing moms’ ability to push effectively. Since the mother is numb, she is unable to get in the most helpful positions to help guide the baby’s descent.

(6) Epidurals increase a woman’s risk of having a delivery with the aid of instruments.

The gold standard of medical reviews, a Cochrane Review, came out with this research in 2011. Epidural babies were more likely to be delivered with the “help” of  forceps, a vacuum, or other tools that increase pain and discomfort for both mom and baby (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011, Issue 12. Art. No.: CD000331. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000331.pub3). The use of instruments also increases the likelihood of a woman having a more serious tear and/or receiving an episiotomy.

(7) Epidurals increase the risk of Cesaearan Section.

Nick Angelis, a nurse anesthetist and the author of How to Succeed in Anesthesia School, states this matter-of-factly, “statistically, the chance of getting a c-section increases with each medical intervention [including epidural].” He also points out that mothers seeking a natural childbirth experience would be wise to avoid labor augmentation drugs such as Pitocin since it is known to make contractions less manageable for the new mother.

(8) Epidurals = a slower recovery.

Elizabeth Chabner Thompson, MD, is a New York mom of four. A graduate of John Hopkins Medical School, she initially did an OB/GYN internship, but ended up changing specialties to focus on oncology. Two of her babies were delivered with an epidural, two without. She far preferred her non-medicated births, “A woman delivering without anesthesia recovers much faster than with anesthesia. I tore much less — I could feel everything so I was able to pay attention to my pushing.” She even went on to say that she, “was up and running behind the stroller within a week after delivering without anesthesia…it was much easier to care for my other children.” Though perhaps not all new mothers will be jogging at one week postpartum, there is certainly something to be said for being able to get up and around quickly.

(9) Epidurals sometimes interfere with the early stages of breastfeeding.

Studies have shown a link between epidurals and breastfeeding rates among new mothers. Whitehead explains that this is “due to neurobehavioral effects in the baby in regards to initial rooting and suckling behaviors.” Note that epidurals also interfere with the natural production of oxytocin (as stated above)…the hormone which causes the let-down effect in breastfeeding and promotes healthy bonding between mamas and their babies.

(10) Epidurals may cause other unpleasant and dangerous effects for babies and mothers.

Women have reported nausea, itching, backache, and incontinence. Little is known how the epidural effects the baby, but we do know that the drug does enter the baby’s bloodstream. It seems contradictory that many women take great precautions to avoid deli meat, coffee, wine, and tylenol throughout their pregnancies…and then proceed to take in a heavy anesthetic agent right before meeting their babies for the first time.

Obviously epidurals aren't for everyone just like natural childbirth is completely out of the picture for others. It's all about your own personal choice and what you want personally for you and your baby.

This time around I want to go natural. Completely 100% natural. I also want to go into labor on my own (if possible). Any time I've delivered I have had to be induced, and it's really just my body & baby. I want to experience my water breaking and having that whole feeling of "we need to get to the hospital". Of course the beauty of induction is the fact that you KNOW when it is happening. It gives you more time to plan what else needs to be done in terms of babysitters, housework, things like that. It makes it kind of easier, but I would love to have the experience of going into labor naturally and on my own. Although I doubt that will happen. My mom went natural with all 5 of us. My 3 other sisters and my brother - 100% natural. She was so strong my mom. 

And I really feel like I'm going to have a more emotional and connected experience with my baby if I go naturally. If I have to get induced then so be it, but besides that I do want to go completely natural. No pain meds, nothing. 

Just balls to the wall (figuratively of course) full blown labor. With nothing to ease the pain.

Hundreds of years ago when there wasn't an epidural that's how women did it. Call me crazy but I just want to experience it. I think it would be incredible. 

Something else I've been looking into is a doula. 

What is a Doula? 

Doula is Greek for "woman who serves". It's been proven that these incredible women can actually make birth easier and better for mom, dad and baby :) & who doesn't want that? They meet you with before you have the baby, are with you during birth and also visit with you at home afterwards. It's truly an amazing thing and must be incredible for them to help someone else.

Another reason I want a doula is to help Ray... Why? because I am going naturally this time. And chances are he's going to hate seeing me in that type of pain, so I want to make sure that dad isn't left out of the equation as well. People seem to forget that dad's are in on birth too. They might not be physically doing it, but they are definitely there along for the ride.

I also really want this whole labor and delivery documented. I would love to have pictures of me in labor... pictures of Ray and I together... pictures of the baby being born (nothing to Alien vs. Predator) but I would love to have those for memories and all of that. and those first moments with the baby. I have found a few different doula's that I plan on meeting with to see if they are good fits for me. My good friend Amanda told me about them and she really had me wanting to learn more. 

Something else? Delayed cord cutting or DCC. 

What this means is you wait to cut the umbilical cord. It's proven to give more blood to the baby and the baby has a lower risk of anemia. 

It's something I'm passionate about and excited about experiencing. At my next appointment on Tuesday I am going to explain my wants and needs to my doctor. 

Have a great day! :) 

XOXO, Jenna 

Pregnancy Workout

I'll be honest... I've really been slacking in the working out department. I haven't been eating like crap but I'm not working out lately either. I'm seriously committed to having a fit pregnancy because I know it's good for me and for my rainbow baby, plus it'll aid in a easier delivery and rebound back quicker. But I have been EXHAUSTED beyond belief. I seriously have no energy during the day or at night and that's saying a lot coming from someone who was a chronic insomniac and could barely sleep before - no really - I had to take sleep drugs and everything. It was pretty bad. 

I am really hoping to start T25 back up when my energy returns in the 2nd trimester — only 1 week away — and then I'll be able to start it back up and do some modified things. Until then though I think I want to try this workout that j found when I was doing one of my favorite things, browsing Pinterest. Lol. 

Obviously I don't have a treadmill so I can't do the walk on the incline but I can jog in place. I would love to get a treadmill but I don't even have the room for it. So this will have to work. I have Dumbbells and a yoga mat. And I'll have to substitute the seated rows for kneeling ones. 

Xoxo, Jenna 

11 weeks & Bump Board!

My Very First Bump Board! :) 

I'm looking forward to doing more of these in the coming weeks. Although I'm sure it'll become more difficult as my belly gets bigger to not smudge some of my artwork ;) I got my chalkboard at AC Moore and it was $19.99 and I got 2 packs of chalk for .99 cents each. I found a lot of my ideas on Pinterest. If you're interested in where I got my sweater from? It's actually a SnookiLove sweater and you can find that www.snookishop.com :) 

Pregnancy This Week: 

Baby L is the size of a LIME already

and can OFFICIALLY be called a FETUS! 

A big jump from a prune just last week! Baby L is moving around in there but I can't feel him/her just yet. Although I'm looking forward to when I finally do get to feel those kicks and movements. Baby's skin is also see through at the moment but he/she is on their way to looking more and more like a little baby in there! Another big milestone this week for Baby L? Fingers and toes aren't webbed anymore. Tooth buds, hair follicles and nail beds are also forming. Only 203 days left to go until my little belly bean is here! =) 

11 Week Pregnancy Symptoms:

What this Mama is Feeling at 11 weeks:

I'm feeling pretty good for the most part and I feel like a lot of my symptoms have already decreased. I'm still pretty tired for the most part but I do find myself able to stay up later - not that I want stay up late. Most nights I feel like I'm asleep before my head even hits the pillow. 

But what stinks is that my lack of energy? Makes me have no real energy to workout :( Since the hubby got me Just Dance 2015  for Christmas this year I've been doing some of those with the kids & that has helped me work up a sweat & dancing is a great workout. So I'm not being completely lazy ;) I'm hoping that once the 2nd trimester hits I'll regain some energy and be able to do more. But as of right now? 

Some minor incidents with nausea but nothing too crazy. It's usually only when I eat something that Baby L doesn't like. And no throwing up =D which I'm sure other expecting mama's would love to experience.

I also almost always feel HUNGRY. Last night (and it wasn't the first time) I woke up basically STARVING at around 3:00 am. And I couldn't fall back asleep until I ate something. The timing is the same every single night. And if I don't wake up in the middle of the night starving? I wake up in the morning wanting to eat everything in site. 

Also this is kind of an odd symptom but I had this when I was pregnant with Gianna - I would itch INSANELY. And it would be to the point of making myself basically bleed & that started up about 2 weeks ago and hasn't decreased at all. When I was pregnant with Gianna I ended up having to go to my OB and actually get prescribed something because it wouldn't stop. 

I know it's an overshare but pregnancy isn't always the sunshine and rainbows. 

It's the good the bad and the ugly. 

One thing that's really tough for me though is how my prenatal vitamins make me feel. I can't take pills for the life of me - specifically the prenatal vitamins. I don't know why, but they are so gross. They are horse pills and they always smelled so bad. Since I've always had "regularity" issues I take gummy prenatal vitamins with extra calcium and fiber. But for some reason whenever I've been taking them I feel like I'm gagging and want to throw up. So that's definitely something that I'm not enjoying.

My hormones are also all over the place. I am either crying, laughing or just plain mad. I find myself becoming increasingly overwhelmed with things going on. Not my pregnancy or anything, but we also have a new puppy and it's been hard to train him. I find myself getting upset over things to the point of crying hysterically because it's a lot to do. Don't get me wrong, I know training a puppy is difficult and it takes time. But some things are just more annoying to me now that I'm pregnant. For instance, the dog not walking up steps. We have a deck and we bought the grass patches for him to use when I'm unable to take him down. We have two steps leading to the deck, and he refuses to walk up them, ever. I can put him in front and he won't do it, and I can put his paws up on a step and he still doesn't budge - which drives me crazy. Because while he's still a puppy he's getting bigger and heavier. He did finally start using the stairs to come in though. I would just crack the door and not give in to his whimpering to come in and he came down the steps. Which is a good thing because getting him to come in before was a pain as well, we would go to get him & he would run away and it's January, it's cold, I don't feel like being outside for 20 minutes. One thing I'm hoping that'll get better is also taking him for walks.... We have a nice little harness and leash for him that is basically useless. He will not walk anywhere. He literally just SITS THERE. And will not walk, and it's really frustrating. But I really think this all stems back to my hormones being crazy, because I'm usually not this bad with things. 

Along with my hormones, I am dealing the the terrible terroristic three's! They say "terrible twos", well compared to how Caleb is now that he is 3 years old, two years old was a walk in the park! Also hard to deal with being pregnant and having whacky insane hormones. Because I find myself crying from exhaustion or being overwhelmed. All things that I know will balance out in due time.

Commercials make me cry, random video clips, things I read - I turn into a total Sally sob story. 

Thankfully no leg cramps yet! But I'm sure I'll be getting them soon. I used to wake up with excruciating Charlie Horses in my legs and honestly would want to contemplate amputation. And no belly line yet either! In due time. I'm embracing everything that's coming my way though because this is something that I never expected to happen again.

Cravings:

I still always want red bell peppers with French dressing or Ranch dip - not salad dressing but the dip that you make with sour scream & the packet; Sandwiches from Subway - specifically the sweet onion chicken teriyaki; SmartFoods White Cheddar Popcorn; Orange juice - oh my gosh, I just love orange juice. I find myself having at least 2-3 glasses of it a day; Strawberry milkshakes; fresh salsa; red potatoes 

Either way I am trying to eat as healthy as possible. But I am definitely not depriving myself.

Food Aversions:

I used to love the occasional trip to McDonalds, now I can barely look at it without feeling queasy. Which whatever, it's bad for you anyway! London Broil - I used to make this as a dinner for my family and I at least once a week, now it doesn't make me sick but I can barely eat it. I can have a piece or two and then I'm kinda just "full".  Although Ray says that I'm not eating enough.

Biggest Change for me so far:

Waking up in the middle of the night starving. This usually never happens to me. So waking up last night at 3:00 am needing to eat was a definite change. I tried to even ignore it but it was impossible! Finally  got back to sleep around 4:30. But woke up at 8:00 hungry again! Baby L must be getting me ready for all those late night feedings. Like I said I wouldn't trade this in for the world though because we never thought this would happen for us again. 

Boy or Girl?!?

Obviously we aren't sure yet. But in the coming weeks we will be finding out if we will be shopping pink or shopping blue. We really want a healthy baby most importantly. But we are really praying and hoping for a girl. I've already seen so many adorable clothes that I just LOVE for baby girls - plus we know names we are interested in already. Caleb was our top pick for a boys name and that's what we have now. So I guess we will see. 

We do have plans on doing a gender reveal but we aren't sure on if we want to find out ahead of time and plan it that way or if we are going to do a special reveal and be surprised that way. We do want to document it though with pictures and a video.

This is the idea we love: 

(Balloons will obviously be pink or blue - but hoping for pink ones ;)  I just think this whole concept is adorable)

Currently I am unsure of what I'm having and have no real idea. The heart rate of the baby at my last US was 176 BPM. Which it was never that high with Caleb. His always stayed around 155-160. I have that whole "itchy gross" thing going on again and that's something I experienced with Gianna. I have taken 2 different Gender Predictor Tests and each one says something different. One is boy and one is girl. Only time will tell. :) Either way I am excited to find out and share it with everyone who reads my blog! :) 

Nursery Plans:

We live in an apartment at the moment but are lucky enough that our landlord lets us do a lot of work in here. We eventually have plans of moving but right now we are content with where we are (even though it drives me crazy insane). Gianna's bedroom coincidentally has 2 doors (it's weird and I don't know why) but we decided to split it up into 2 rooms. That way Gianna still has her own space and then Baby L will have their own space as well :) 

Last night I did a complete overhaul in Gianna's room. We went through all of her toys and drawers and moved everything around to be how it will be when the wall goes in. (Which we still aren't sure when we are going to be doing this wall). 

This is the end result:

She was a little skeptical about the idea at first and wanted to share a room with the baby and when I explained to her that she would have her own room still she perked up and got excited. Once we have the wall up we discussed painting her room however she wants because it'll be easier. 

So this is now our nursery space:

It's tiny but it's workable. Caleb and Gi used to share this room and we made it work with her bed and a crib and dressers and everything. Obviously the dresser is coming out and the basketball net and everything else. I definitely want a Glider so bad also. 

I'm interested in keeping a neutral color as the base with color accents based on Baby L's gender. I love the color gray for nursery walls. Not overbearing or too dark but I love the grey with pink accents or blue for a boy or teal. I also love stripes but it seems tedious. 

Those are the current ideas I LOVE. I also really wanna find a shag rug like the one in the picture. I am obsessed with it. 

11 weeks down and 203 days to go. <3 

SO excited to continue sharing it with you all! 

Stay happy and healthy! And I hope you all had a wonderful New Year! 

Remember what you deserve from people and don't ever feel guilty about removing toxic people from your life. No matter who they may be. :) 

Have a great rest of your weekend & be blessed! <3 

Xoxo, Jenna